Key result
Chewing gum significantly reduced the mean time to first passage of flatus compared to standard care following caesarean section (16.04 vs 22.05 hours, p<0.01).
Why the study?
Postoperative ileus is a frequent complication of caesarean section contributing to prolonged hospital stay and morbidity, and chewing gum hastens bowel motility in non-obstetric surgery.
Does chewing gum improve bowel recovery in women undergoing caesarean section?
RCT (n=170)
Computer-generated numbers concealed in sealed envelope (SNOSE)
No
Does chewing gum improve bowel recovery in women undergoing caesarean section?
Mean Difference: -6.01
Absolute Event Rate: 16.04% vs 22.05%
p-value: p=<0.01
Chewing gum significantly hastens the return of bowel motility and reduces hospital stay in women following caesarean section.
Supports gum chewing after caesarean; confirms faster bowel recovery in this RCT.
Background: Postoperative ileus is the most frequent complication of any abdominal surgery. In case of patients who under caesarean sections it adds to the prolonged hospital stay and morbidity. Chewing gum acts similar to sham feeding has been proven to hasten return of gastrointestinal motility in non-obstetric abdominal surgery. To study the effectiveness of chewing gum on recovery of bowel function following Caesarean section.Methods: This study, a randomized controlled trial was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, JIPMER over a period of 2 months. Age, parity and details of patients who underwent caesarean section (type/indication/duration) were noted. They were randomised and allocated into two groups, group a (gum chewing group) and group B (control group). Using a verbal questionnaire time of first feeling of hunger, first passage of flatus and first passage of feces were noted.Results: Mean time of first passage of flatus in group 1 (gum chewing) was 16.04±5.7 as compared to 22.05±4.8 in group 2 (standard care) and the difference was found to be statistically significant (p<0.01). Mean time of first passage of feces in group 1(gum chewing) was 27.08±3.2 as compared to 32.04±4.3 in group 2 (standard care). None of the patients in our study had any side effects with use of chewing gum.Conclusions: Chewing gum significantly improves bowel motility when administered to patients following caesarean section and may help.
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Gayathri et al. (2020) conducted an RCT in Postoperative ileus following caesarean section (n=170). Chewing gum vs. Standard postoperative care was evaluated on Time of first passage of flatus (hours) (p=<0.01). Chewing gum significantly reduced the mean time to first passage of flatus compared to standard care following caesarean section (16.04 vs 22.05 hours, p<0.01).
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